Heavy Winds Bring Down House On Beach 13 Street

By Miriam Rosenberg

Wind gusts up to 46 mph, which hit the New York area on October 20, tore this partially-built wood home down to its foundation.

A windstorm, with gusts up to 46 miles per hour, brought down a house under construction on the corner of Beach 13 Street and Plainview Avenue last Friday. The fast-moving storm tore the wood structure away from its concrete stairs. The debris landed on top of two parked cars sitting on the sidewalk.

José Guilbe, an off-duty auxiliary police officer for the 101 Precinct and a resident of New Haven Plaza on Beach 14 Street, said a tornado-like wind ripped through the peninsula.

Police cordoned off the area, giving only residents of the affected streets entrance to their homes, as crews from the FDNY, LIPA and the Office of Emergency Management surveyed the damage. In the evening a demolition crew cleaned up the debris.

According to Guilbe, no one was in the structure at the time of the collapse.

Members of the FDNY and emergency personnel survey the damage on Beach 13 Street and Plainview Avenue last Friday afternoon.

Destruction of structure from another angle. Roof completely fell into folded walls.